Branding Pakistan an epicentre of terrorism, Indian Foreign
Minister Yashwant Sinha on Sunday ruled out talks to improve ties with his
arch-rival and said the United States must exert more pressure on its ally.

Speaking on the sidelines of a summit of developing nations in Kuala Lumpur
that will be attended by both Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Pakistani
President Pervez Musharraf, Sinha said talks with Pakistan were out of the question
for now.

"Pakistan is and continues to be the epicentre of terrorism," Sinha,
said.

Pakistan had exported terrorism to Afghanistan, India and the rest of the world,
as demonstrated by arrests of Pakistanis in the US and Europe, Sinha said.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri says India has tried to
use the tragedy of September 11 for its own ends, and maintains that Islamabad
wants to re-open a dialogue to improve ties after the neighbours came close
to war last year.

India has accused Pakistan of sponsoring cross-border terrorism in Jammu and
Kashmir, and says two Pakistan-based Islamic groups were behind an attack on
its Parliament in December 2001.

Sinha said infiltration was again rising, even though such action usually drops
off during the freezing Himalayan winter.

He said that while Pakistan "was shouting from the house tops" that
it wants dialogue, India needed to be cautious because two earlier top level
meetings were followed by serious border incursions and the attack on Parliament.

FRIENDS WITH ENEMY'S FRIEND

Sinha said he understood the need of the United States to befriend Pakistan
in the aftermath of September 11 and with its campaign to rid Afghanistan of
Al-Qaeda terrorists hiding there.

But he said Washington, with which New Delhi enjoys warm relations, could apply
more pressure on the Pakistan government to stop terrorist groups operating
from its territory.

"The United States has applied some pressure. The United States could
certainly apply more pressure. It's up to them, it's their judgment."

Diplomats in Islamabad say cracks are appearing in the relationship between
the United States and Pakistan, but fear that could play into the hands of Islamic
radical groups and fuel anti-US sentiment in the nuclear-armed state.

Kasuri said this month that relations were better than were being reported
in the US, Indian and Pakistani media.

Last week, India and Pakistan issued visas to senior diplomats after booting
out their predecessors earlier in the month -- a move Sinha said showed the
relationship was not in a deep freeze.

Talks would only follow firm steps by Pakistan to root out terrorist operating
in Jammu and Kashmir, however.

"The only positive act Pakistan can do in order to convince us of their
good intentions is to dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism and stop cross
border infiltrations," Sinha said, accusing Pakistan of allowing training
and financing of terrorists into India from camps across the Line of Control
in Jammu and Kashmir.